THE FASCINATING STORY OF A 1929 BUHL
"SPORT AIRSEDAN" MODEL CA-3D/E, NC-8451
AND ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ABOUT THE
BUHL AIRCRAFT COMPANY

WHAT EXACTLY HAS NC-8451 BEEN UP TO THE LAST SIXTY YEARS?

While nearly all U.S. registration records for NC-8451 have been destroyed, the Argentineans have saved the day. From their records,
related to the sale by Packard to the first Argentinean owner, we know that Buhl Sport Airsedan NC-8451 was manufactured in
November, 1929, in Marysville, Michigan. During the next six months, until its purchase by Packard, we must assume it was owned by
the Buhl Aircraft Company. This is not surprising, given the onset of the depression which was starting to take a bite out of the sales of
just about everything, but then came Packard!
According to the "Minutes of the Meeting of the Board of Directors of the Packard Motor Car
Company, held at the factory office, East Grand Boulevard and Belt Line Railroad, Detroit, Michigan, on Wednesday, May 28, 1930, at
3:00 pm.....the following expenditures are authorized.....One (1) Buhl Four-place Cabin Sequi Plane Model CA-3, Number NC-8451,
Amount $8,566.67."
Packard purchased the Buhl as a demonstration platform for the new Packard diesel aircraft engines.
Given the airplanes' dashing good looks and enviable performance characteristics, it was featured in a large number of Packard
advertisements promoting the engine. One full page factory ad "slick" prominently features NC-8451 under the headline "9/10 of a
Cent Per Mile---actual operating cost of a Packard-Diesel powered on flight of 12,000 miles." It seems most appropriate that, given
the rapidly deteriorating economy of the times, the ad speaks directly to the growing importance of the economy of the craft. In the
margin, the ad slick notes its scheduled appearance in the March, 1931 issues of Aero Digest, Airway Age, Aviation, Southern
Aviation, Western Flying, Aviation Engineering and the April, 1931 issue of Popular Aviation.
By the time these advertisements had appeared, the depression was gaining considerable strength
and Packard was finding new engine sales harder and harder to come by. On February 27, 1931, the Packard Motor Car Company sold
NC-8451 to Aeroposta Argentina and a "Certificate of Airworthiness for Export", was promptly issued. Aeroposta Argentina had Air France
convert the aircraft back to a Wright Whirlwind from the Packard Diesel. In 1934, a very notable individual was given a sightseeing ride
over Buenos Aires. While attending the "International Eucaristically Congress," Cardinal Monsignor Pacelli went for a spin over the town.
Soon to be elected Pope Pius the XXII, Monsignor Pacelli became the first Pope to have flown in an airplane.
In 1943, NC-8451, then known in Argentina as LB-NVE, was sold once more. The engine was
subsequently removed for service. Without its engine, the aircraft was damaged when it was overturned in a strong wind. It never flew in
Argentina again. In 1987, the Argentinean owner's son began a sales effort by mail to various parties in the United States. It was
ultimately purchased and brought back to th United States in late 1989. Unfortunately, the purchaser passed away before any restoration
could be attempted and the dwindling remains of NC-8451 languished, piled up in a heap, in a dusty corner of a California hangar. While
talking with a vintage parts dealer, we learned of the plane's existence. As it turns out, so little useful material was left of the project it was
about to be hauled away to the dump. We purchased the project in the nick of time and restoration work began in late 1995. The result
is the plane you see today.

A BRIEF HISTORY OF THE BUHLAIRCRAFT COMPANY

The Buhl Aircraft Company was founded in 1925 as part of the holdings of Detroit's Buhl family. By the late
1920's, the Buhl family had been on the Detroit manufacturing scene for nearly one hundred years, best known for the Buhl Stamping
Company and the beautiful art-deco Buhl building in downtown Detroit.
&nbsp&nbsp&nbsp&nbsp&nbspSadly, in the latter half of this century, there has not been much attention paid to the Buhl Aircraft
Company and to the fine craft which they produced. This despite the fact that Buhl manufactured the first aircraft to receive an
Approved Type Certificate. A.T.C. #1 was awarded to Buhl for the fabulous Buhl-Verville "J4" "Airster" in March of 1927. Part of
Detroit's Buhl family holdings, Buhl aircraft went on to win a number of speed and endurance records and placed among the very top in
events such as the Ford Reliability Tour, the National Air Races and other competitive gatherings.

July 12, 1929. California endurance flyers Loren W.Mendell and Pete Reinhart boosted the Cleveland mark to 246 hours. Flying a
biplane, the Angeleno, they had beaten the record by more than 70 hours. A large crowd, conspicuous only by the absence of their
estranged wives, turned out to see the landing at Culver City. Mendell's wife was suing for divorce.
What followed was a large banquet at the Biltmore Hotel with some 300 guests attending. Local Army
and Navy brass were on hand along with the news media. Even cowboy philosopher Will Rogers made an appearance. As a reward for
a job well done, the Buhl company gave them a new Airsedan biplane. The Wright engine people chipped in $1,000 and they also
signed on for a number of vaudeville stage performances.

Photo and Text From Russell Plehinger's MARATHON FLYERS,

.

Nick B. Mamer

Nick Mamer with wife and daughter
Spokane Sun God

Arthur E. Walker

Photos From Russell Plehinger's MARATHON FLYERS,

Another was the 1929 flight of a Buhl CA-6, known as the "Spokane Sun-God." In August of 1929,
with Nick B. Mamer as pilot and Art Walker as mechanic and refueling hoseman, the "Sun-God" made a non-stop flight from Spokane,
Washington to New York City and back again without landing. This was the first transcontinental round trip flight ever taken
without landing -- quite an accomplishment for 1929! The 115 hour flight was accomplished with eleven in-flight refuelings, one of
which was conducted at 10,000 feet over Wyoming.
.

Models which Buhl produced include the Buhl-Verville "Airster", which was designed by Alfred Verville.
When Verville sold his interest back to the company in 1927,
Etienne Dormoy took over as chief designer and began the "Airsedan"
series which includes Airsedan Models CA-5, CA-5A, Sport Sedan CA-3, CA-3C, CA-3D, CA-3E, Senior Airsedan CA-8, CA-8A, CA-8B,
Standard Airsedan CA-6, CA-6B, CA-6W. There were also CA-1, CA-1A, CA-1W, CA-1WA, all of which are thought to be variations
on the fantastic low wing "Sport Airster" which was only prototyped. In an effort to keep the company going during the depression, the
Buhl "Pup" was then designed, but like so many manufacturers, the market just wasn't there and the Buhl Aircraft Company ceased
operations in February of 1933.

Buhl Airsedan NC-8451 is owned by
Greg Herrick's Yellowstone Aviation, Inc.,
of Jackson, Wyoming
and is part of the Golden Wings Flying Museum.

Greg has kindly allowed me to reproduce this selected material from the booklet he prepared as part of the restoration project.
He has my very sincere thanks for his dedication and his generosity.

BUHL CA-5 AIRSEDAN

I've attached a photo, from my collection, of a Buhl CA-5 Airsedan that I thought you might want to use for your web page on the Buhl
aircraft company.
This particular aircraft, NX2915 "Miss Doran", was lost over the Pacific Ocean during the August 1927 Dole Race, for the first aircraft to
fly from North America to Hawaii and because of the crowd of people in the background of the photo, I suspect that it may have been
taken at the race. The top part of the sign, on the side of the aircraft, says "Lincoln Oil", by the way.
A description of the Dole Race, which cost the lives of ten people, can be found at:
Dole Race
Best wishes!
Roy Nagl